Magnitude 5.5 quake shakes Japan

A magnitude-5.5 earthquake rattled Yamanashi prefecture in central Japan this morning, the Japan Meteorological Agency reported. There were no immediate reports of damage or injuries.

A magnitude-5.5 earthquake rattled Yamanashi prefecture in central Japan this morning, the Japan Meteorological Agency reported. There were no immediate reports of damage or injuries.

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The temblor was some 20 km deep and hit at 7:43 AM local time (2243 GMT Friday), the Japanese earthquake-reporting agency said.

Last year, a magnitude-9 quake on March 11 and subsequent tsunami about 230 km northeast of Tokyo left nearly 20,000 people dead or missing.

Japan is one of the most earthquake-prone countries in the world.